Art of feeding mats to a hot-press



Feb. 21, F THURNHER y ART OF FEEDING MATS TO A HOT-PRESS Filed April 15, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Ferdinand Thurnher www Attorneys Feb. 21, 1961 Filed April l5, 1957 F. THURNHER ART OF FEEDING MATS TO A HOT-PRESS ffy/f T 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ferdinand Thurnher A'r'forneys Feb. 21, 1961 F. THURNHER ART oF FEEDING MATS To A Hor-PRESS 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 15. 1957 INVENTOR. Ferdinand Thurnher Attorneys Feb. 21, 1961 F. THURNHER 2,972,423

ART oF FEEDING MATS To A HOT-PRESS Filed April 15, 1957 s sheets-sheet 4 Ferdinand Thurnher WAM Attorneys Feb. 2l, 1961 F. THURNHER ART oF FEEDING MATS To A HOT-PRESS Filed April 15, '1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Ferdinand Thurnher Attorneys Feb. 21, 1961 F. THURNHER ART oF FEEDING MATS To A HOT-PRESS Filed April 15, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 igrgmrivlglgrliuiiierivlveli Illlllli lll Inn."

INVENTOR.

Ferdinand Thurnher Attorneys una @AME

Feb. 21, 1961 i F. THURNHER ART oF FEEDING MATS To A HOT-PRESS 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed April 15, 1957 INVENTOR.

Ferdinand Thurnher Aitornevs Feb 21, 1961 F. THuRNHl-:R

ART oF FEEDING MATS To A HOT-PRESS 8 Sheets-Sheet B Filed April l5, 1957 RM mm Nr.. Eu Vh NT MW w Attorney ART OF FEEDING MATS T A HOT-PRESS Ferdinand Thurnher, Seattle, Wash., assignor to Washington lron Works, Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Washington Filed Apr. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 652,834

23 Claims. (Cl. 214-16.4)

This invention relates to the art of feeding, and particularly feeding to a multi-plate hot press of the mats used in the production of wood composition boards, namely boards made from wood material of various kinds. For ease of description let it be considered that the mats are composed of wood fibers and that the press is a hardboard press, namely one for producing a hard, homogeneous composition board having a density usually exceeding that of the original natural Wood. My use of these terms is solely for the purpose of simplifying and at the same time giving utmost clarity to the following vdescription and claims. The teachings of the invention are in no sense limited to the handling of mats, whether the same be composed of wood ibers, granules, flakes or otherwise, nor the feeding thereof to a hardboard press, and I accordingly wish these terms to be interpreted liberally as comprehending within their meaning all applicable sheet substances and all applicable multi-plate presses.

An accepted procedure in the production of hardboard is one in which ber from which the mats are formed is fed into a large enclosed box called a felten Upon entrance to the felter the ber is uniformly distributed by a mechanical agitator, which results in a snowstorm type gravity fall. The bottom of the felter is a conveyor belt, which moves the fallen liber through an oscillating saw set at variable heights for required board thickness. vThe liber mat may be from 3 inches thick for an ultimate 3732" board, to 161/2 for a board. The continuous mat is now precompressed to approximately one to three inches thickness for ease in handling prior to pressing. A saw cuts the mat into 16 foot lengths, 4 feet wide, while the mat is moving. A series of photo electric cells energize a speed-changing segment of the conveyor belt so as to separate the mats by 4 foot gaps. At this stage, in hardboard plants as they have been heretofore known, the mats are lifted by vacuum hoods off the described forming conveyor, moved laterally into a position directly overlying a steel caul, and deposited on this caul. These cauls circulate within the plant, carrying the mats through the press and being returned to the mat-receiving point after the hardboard has been Vremoved from the caul. At this stage of the operation the cauls occupy an endless conveyor leading to a loading cage, theconveyor having interrupted travel momentarily arrested when the mats are deposited thereon. The loading cage contains 20 vertically spaced ights and the cage has an indexing vertical movement which brings these flights successively into register with the caul-carrying belt. As each such registration occurs, a caul with its mat thereon is forced into the concerned ight of the cage. When all 20 ights are filled, the cage is aligned with the open hot press-containing a corresponding number of re'- ceiving pockets-and the cauls, each with its matthereon, are pushed by a reciprocally movable loading arm from the cage into said open pockets of the press. The press thereupon closes to compress the mats into hardboard.

States Patent 2,972,423 Patented Feb. 21, 1961 "ice Upon opening the press, the cauls, with the hardboard thereon, are pulled from the pockets of the press into registering pockets of a receiving cage, the receiving cage occupying a position at the side of the press opposite the loading cage. The full load of cauls and hardboard discharge one at a time from the receiver cage' and the cauls are then separated from the hardboard and returned to the vacuum transfer to again receive a mat.

One object of the present invention is to provide a means and method of feeding mats to a hot press which obviates the need of employing cauls to support the mats. Elimination of the cauls has these major advantages. It materially reduces equipment cost. It cuts operating expense in that the weight of the cauls is very substantial and requires considerable energy in moving the same through their orbit of circulating travel. Heat loss also becomes very substantial where the heat of the press plates is transferred by exchange to the cauls and perforce then dissipated by the latter. It prolongs the life of the press plates in that cauls, which frequently become warped, are a prime source of damage to the surface of the plates. Elimination of the cauls furthermore, and for this same reason, increases the `output of top-graded hardboard, which is of course damaged by a faulty caul. A still further objection to cauls is that hardboard which is carried thereon is subjected to curing heat from the top platen of the press before such heat can be passed from the lower platen through the caul to the underside of the mat.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a means and method of conveying mats to a loading cage in a manner which allows the conveyor to travel continuously, albeit at changing speeds, as distinguished from the periodically arrested travel heretofore necessary, the advantage being a faster feed and reduced operating expense.

As a still further and important object, the invention aims to provide a means and method of charging mats from the conveyor to the flights of the loading cage which permits the cage, between .its end limits of travel, to rise and descend in continuous movement. Distinguished from the usual indexing motion, the advantage is again one of reducing operating cost by maintaining momentum, and increasing the output of the plant by decreasing the time required for charging the cage.

'Ihe foregoing, with still additional objects and advantages of the invention, will appear and be understood in the course of the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic View giving a general side elevational illustration of a portion of the conveyor together with the loading cage, the hot press, and the receiving cage of a hardboard plant embodying teachings of the present invention.

`Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged-scale'side elevational view of a medial portion of the conveyor.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view portraying, fragmentarily, the tail-end portion of the conveyor and incorporating a fragmentary showing of the loading cage.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the loading cage and incorporating a fragmentary showing of the hot press. Included in this View are carriages, one for each flight of the cage, mounted for reciprocatory horizontal movement from normally retracted positions into and from advanced positions whereat the same enter the pockets of the open hot press, and it is to be noted that while these carriages are here illustrated at several stages of their horizontal travel, so as better to visualize gether in concert.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the loading cage, drawn on a section line which permits a plan illustration of one of the carriages, and with one side broken away to permit a full-line illustration of the drive responsible for the reciprocal motion of the carriages.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of the loading cage, with parts broken away, the view being taken from the vantage point shown at 6-6 of Fig. 4. It is pointed out that the vertical shaft and drive chains shown in this view are provided at both sides, being here deleted yfrom the right side in order to simplify the illustration.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational View detailing mechanism by which the tail end of the conveyor is releasably coupled to the loading cage, an arrangement which causes the conveyor to move vertically in concert with the cage in the momentarily separated intervals during which mats are charged to the cage. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View drawn to an enlarged scale on line 8--8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section on line 9--9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view on line itl-lll of Fig. 8.

Figs. 1l and l2 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views detailing structure carried by the plates of the hot press at the discharge end of the latter' and4 which. acts to submerge a push-plate carried by each carriage at the front end thereof, the function of these push-plates being to discharge from the hot press hardboard formed in the preceding operation of the press.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary trans-verse vertical sectional view on line 1.3-13 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view on line l4-14 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 16 is a transverse vertical sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale on line o-l of Fig. l0.

With reference being had to Figure l of thedrawings, the numerals Ztl, 21 and 22. designate, respectively, the loader, the hot press, and the receiver of a hardboard plant, it being understood that mats which are to be formed into hardboard are delivered by a succession of conveyor belts to the loader, charged from the loader into the hot press, and thence, after being subjected to heat and pressure within said press, discharged into the receiver. The present invention is concerned only with the loader and the arrangement of conveyor belts for feeding the mats thereto.

First considering said belts, the same function to convey the mat along a generally horizontal travel path and in course of this travel the work is first precompressed, and the precompressed mat then reached a flying saw (not shown) acting to cut the rnat at right angles to the direction .of travel into equal length pieces. this cutting action the mats-senarated only by the width of the saw cuttraverse a plurality of free-runnin g rollers. Following the rollers are the irst of a succession of 2- speed belts. In my preferred assembly there are four of these 2-speed belts, only two being here shown. The first three of these four 2-speed belts are functionally alike, being trained in each instance about live and idler rollers iournaled to rotate about iixed axes. The illustrated one of such iirst three belts is denoted by 23` The 2-speed belt which is in immediate succession to said belt 23 is denoted by 24 and will be hereinafter termed the selector belt, being distinguished from belt 23 in that a frame 2'7 therefor swings vertically about the head roller 2S as an axis. This swing motion is from a normal centered primary-feed position into either a raised secondary-feed position or a lowered rejecty Following VAposition and is accomplished by air cylinders 28 and 29,

the arrangement being one in which a piston working in the cylinder 2S raises and lowers the swing-frame between the primary and secondary feed positions, and in which a piston working in the air cylinder 29 moves the swing-frame between the primary-feed and the reject positions by lowering and raising the air cylinder 28.

Said belt 24 feeds to a l-speed tail belt which is, in fact, comprised of two bells 3G and 3i deriving support from a common swing-frame 32. sUne such belt 30 occupies a lower level with itshead end held stationary in registration with the tail end of the selector belt when the selector belt is in its normal primary-feed position. rl`he other belt 31 occupies an upper level with its head end held stationary in registration with the tail end of the selector belt when the selector belt is in its raised secondary feed position. For ease of description the two belts 3G and 31 will be hereinafter termed the lower main feed belt and the upper main feed belt, respectively. Mounted to swing by its tail end about the center of the lower said -belts head roller 33 as an axis, the swing-frame 32 admits of being raised by pressure air and lowered by cushioned gravity with the sped controlled in both instances by a needle valve 34 (Fig. 3).

The drive to the several 2-speed belts and to the tail belts as well as to a supply belt (not shown) feeding the cut mats from the flying saw to the succession of 2-speed belts originates in an electric motor 35 (Fig. 2) and thence passes by a chain 36 to a sprocket wheel which is journaled for rotation about an axis coinciding with that of the head roller 33. A normally-engaged electric clutch at one side of the swing-frame 32 drive-couples this sprocket wheel to the head roller 3.3, and such power is also applied to the head roller 40' of the upper main feed belt, either alternatively or in concert with the head roller 33, by a normally-disengaged electric clutch. From said driven sprocket wheel power is also carried by chain, one driving another successively in turn, to the input sides of respective normally disengaged electric clutches carried by one end of the live head roller for each ofthe 2speed belts. The speed at which each of these several 2-speed belts and the two belts 30 and 31 rotate, upon engagement of the concerned electric clutch, is or may be 200 f.p.m.

Upon the opposite end of the live head roller for each of the Z-Speed belts, there is provided a respective over-riding clutch, one more especially which permits the concerned roller to over-ride the input side of the clutch, and each such input side is chain-driven through a gear box from a shaft 41 powered, as with the chain 36, by the electric motor 35. The drive to said input side of the over-riding clutches is constant and is or may be f.p.m. Neither the over-riding clutches, the electric clutches, nor photo-electric relays which operate the latter are illustrated in the drawing, but the arrangement will, it is believed, be clear from the foregoing taken in conjunction with the following trace of the conveyor operation. To better understand this operation it should be here stated that the set of `free-running rollers have an over-all longitudinal span of 20" and that the longitudinal span of the several 2-Speed belts is as follows, considered center-to-center from the head roller of one to the head roller of the next succeeding belt, to wit:

The #l 2-speed belt-18" The #2 2-speed belt-31" The #3 2-speed belt-52" The #3 2-speed belt88" The two main feed belts 30 and 31 have a length of 234. Each cut mat (16 feet in length) is travelling at a speed of 120 fpm. as it leaves the flying saw, this being the forming speed. Upon reaching a given point along the series of 2-speed belts, the leading edge of the mat blocks a light source to one of the photo-electric relays' which responsively causes all of the 2-speed belts to speed up to 200 f.p.m. A gap thus develops between this advance mat and the next following mat. When the trailing edge of such advance mat passes the tail end of each of the 2-speed belts in turn it clears a respective light source related to a photo-electric relay for that particular belt, inactivating the concerned electric clutch to cause that belt to slow down to forming speed, namely 120 f.p.m. Thus, each following mat travels at 120 f.p.m. until its leading .end reaches said given point in the travel thereof at which its blocking of a light source activates the electric clutches for all of the Z-Speed belts collectively, resulting in a 200 f.p.rn. speed, following which each said 2speed belt drops its speed to 120 f.p.m. only as the same is cleared by the tail end of the concerned mat. The gap opened between successive mats is 128". The

functioning tail belt 30 or 31, one or both as the case may be, does not change its 200 f.p.m. speed.

Proceeding now to describe the loader, the same is comprised of a cage which occupies an intervening position between the tail belts and the hot press and in its working travel is mounted for reciprocal vertical motion between two extremes. The low extreme is one in which the uppermost of a multiplicity of mat-receiving pockets, or llights as they will be hereinafter termed, registers with the tail end of the upper-level main feed belt 31. The upper extreme places the lowermost flight in registration with the tail end of the lower main feed belt 30. As a frame for the cage a respective angle-iron upright 43' is provided at each of the fourcorners, and transverse I-beams 44 extend between these uprights, top and bottom at each end. In its descending movement lthe cage lowers into a pit 45. In proximity of each of the uprights is a respective post 42 which is made rigid with the side walls of the pit and projects moderately above the latter. The upper ends of the posts each carry a bearing block 3S, and at each of the two sides of the pit a respective horizontal shaft 46 receives a rotary journal from these blocks. Fast to these shafts are sprocket wheels 47 occupying positions transversely aligned with the cage uprights 43. Trained over these sprocket wheels is the bight of a respective looped chain 48 having one of itis ends anchored, as at 50, to the base end of the upright and having the other end connected to a iloating counter-weight 51. These two shafts, one at one side and the other at the other side of the cage, are driven from an electric motor 53, the drive passing through gear boxes 54. The drive is one which reverses automatically at each end limit of travel, thus giving reciprocal motion to the cage, and it is expressly pointed out that the motion is uninterrupted between the end limits of travel as distinguished from the indexing movement common to the cages of hot press loaders as the same have been heretofore known. Rollers 52 surmounting the head ends of the posts 42 track against the uprights 43 to hold the cage against end thrust.

For each flight of the cage, along each of the opposite sides thereof, there is provided a longitudinal stringer 55 composed of -angle-iron stock. One flange of this Stringer is bolted or otherwise secured to the inner face of the uprights. The other flange extends inwardly as a horizontal shelf and functions as `a track for wheels 56 of a carriage, there being one such carriage for each flight. This carriage presents at its rear end a pair of check plates 57 connected by a cross-bar 58, provides at its front end longitudinally spaced heel and toe elements 60 and 61 joined along the sides by arms 62, and between the cross-bar and the heel element, along each side, has `a connecting strap 63. A corrugated steel sheet 64 extends as a carriage lloor from the cross-bar 5S to .the heel element 60, being secured thereto and being also riveted along the sides to the strips 63. The corrugations, extending transversely, perform an effective stiffening olllce Without adding measurably to the weight of the carriage frame.

'preceding press operation.

rear ends of the carriage, being freceived in the one instance in the space between the heel and toe elements 60 and 61 and being receivedin the other instance to the rear of the cross-bar 58. A plurality of transversely spaced apart endless belts 68 extend by their upper runs from the head roller to the tail roller, passing by their lower run from the tail roller above the corrugated llooring and thence about a belt tightener. Detailed in Figs. 13 and`l4 these belt tighteners are comprised of two barrel rollers 70 and 71 carried at diametrically opposite sides of the rotary axis of a common spindle 72, the spindle being yieldingly tensioned by a spiral spring 73. To give support to the upper run of the belt a plate 69, preferably of hardboard, underlies said upper runs of an adjacent pair of the belts, and a mounting strip 75, preferably of wood, supports this hardboard sheet, being screwed to the corrugated floor in an intervening position between the pair of belts.

In the momentary -at-rest position of the cage when the same reaches the upper limit of travel each of the several llights lines up with a related open pocket 74 of the companion hot press. The carriages, each having had a precompressed mat delivered thereto, in a manner hereinafter to be described, by either the primary or the secondary tail belt 30 or 31, as the case may be, are arranged for reciprocal horizontal motion into and from said press pockets, and it is a characteristic of the present invention that the carriage belts 68 are motionless in said forward or advance travel of the carriages and are powered toY move by the upper run from the rear or head roller 67 toward the front or tail roller 66 as the carriage returns. The power for the reciprocation of the carriages` is derived from a reversing electric motor 76V carried by the cage and rotating a cross-shaft 77 which'acts through gear boxes 78 to drive vertical shafts 80. Located at the front end at opposite sides of the cage these vertical shafts are journaled in bearings 89 (see Fig. 16) Vsecured to the horizontal flanges of. each of the angle-iron stringers 55.' At each flightV levelj of the cage a respective sprocket wheel, as 81, is fixed to each said shaft. Counterparts 82 and 83, respectively,l of said shafts and the sprocket wheels 81 are provided at the rear end of the cage, and horizontal chains 79 pass from each sprocket Wheel 81 at the front to and around a related sprocket wheel 83 at the rea-r, with each such chain being dead-ended to brackets 84 Xed to the Yrelated carriage. of dead chain extends longitudinally of the cage below the horizontal llanges of each of said longitudinal string ers, and meshing these dead chains are sprocket wheels 86 disposed coaxial to the head rollers 67 at one end thereof. The sprocket wheels 86 act through over-riding clutches 87 (see Fig. 9) to pass to the head rollers the rotation necessary to impart to the belts 68 the unidirectional motion which is above described.

' At the extreme front end of each carriage there is provided a projecting tongue 90 composed of spring steel. The function of this tongue is to scrape the face 91 of the press plate as the carriage advances into the press, peeling therefrom any residue matter remaining from the As the carriage moves into and from such press it is important, to obviate pre-curing of a following mat and also to hold the dissipation of heat to a minimum, that the metal of the carriage be isolated from the metal of the plate. For this purpose I provide asbestos strips 92 along the underside of the toe element 61 and also at spaced intervals of the length' below the corrugated lloor. To minimize the possibility of foreign matter such as a loose screw from entering the press I attach the asbestos'strips to the corrugated lloor by means of wire hangers 93 (Fig. 9). As further pro tection against pre-curing of the mats as the same occupy the flights in the retracted position of the cage there is provided for each flight, at the front end of the cage, a

Rollers 66 and 67 are provided ,at the front and the 75 respective sheld 94. These shields normally occupy the A respective length lowered positions in which they are shown by full lines in Fig. l0, being activated into` and from the elevated positions shown by dotted lines by pistons working in air cylinders 9S. The shields swing about pivot centers' 96.

Each carriage, adjacent its front end and in spaced proximity of each side edge, has a pusher-plate 16d pivoted, as at lill, for motion from a lowered inactive position into an upstanding active position, this plate acting to push from the press, as the carriage moves into the same, the mat which has been pressed by theV press in the preceding operation thereof, This pusher-plate, or which is to say the pivot pin 101 thereof, carries at the side of the carriage counter-weight 102. As the carriage advances to approximately the forward limit of travel this counter-weight rides along the cam face 103 of a tripping linger 1M pivotally mounted on a bracket arm 105 attached to the frontV side edge of the press plate.

Upon its traversal of this cam face the counter-weight lodges behind a hooking shoulder 106 and as the carriage now commences its return travel this hooking shoulder swings the counter-weight upwardly and responsively drops the push-plate into the recessed position shown in Fig. 12. Thronghoutsuch return travel the over-riding clutch 87 perforce acts upon the shaft end 65 of the head roller 67 of the carriage to activate the latter, the responsive motion of the belts 63, as shown by the direction arrows of Fig. 9, moving the precompressed mat M olf the carriage and onto the hot plate. The speed at which the belt moves exactly corresponds to the speed of the carriage as the latter returns to its normal retracted position, albeit oppositely directed so that, in effect, the mat is stationary-horizontal movement considered-during the retraction travel of the carriage. As the carriage reaches said retracted position, the related shield 94 is caused to close. rThere depends from the pivoted hubs of these shields a leg 107 which is brought against the counter-weight 102 to nudge the latter rearwardly over center and responsively raise the push-plate 100, completing a cycle of movement of the carriage.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. l, 4 and 6 that along the top of the loading cage there are provided a plurality of rollers 108. The purpose thereof is to facilitate removal of plates from the hot press when the same are in need of repair.

Reverting now to the swing-frame 32 and having particular reference to Figs. 3, 7 and l5, it will be seen that a respective foot-shaped lever 11i) is journaled, as at 111, from each side of the swing-frames free end. This lever lies co-planar, or approximately co-planar, with the vertical flanges of the longitudinal stringers S which lie along a related side of the loader. The toe of such lever is directed forwardly. A roller 112 is carried by such toe, and such roller has a diameter moderately less than the vertical spacing between the top of one and the bottom of the next adjacent Stringer of the loader. Connected to the heel of such lever is a piston working in an air cylinder 113. The pressure of the air acts against the yielding force of a spring (not shown), with the arrangement being one in which the spring load urges the lever forwardly so as normally to lodge the rollers-one at each side of the swing-frame-between adjacent stringers of the cage frame, thus coupling the swing-frame to the cage so that the two move in concert, and wherein periodic delivery of pressure air momentarily withdraws the rollers, whereupon the swing-frame can move independently of the cage until the pressure air is dumped, whereupon the rollers enter the next following gap between stringers of the cage frame. The positioning of the rollers 112, relative to the lower main feed belt 30, is such that the said belt 30 registers with the belt 68 of the lowermost Hight of the cage when the rollers are lodged above the lowermost Stringer. lt also should be here noted that the spacing between the primary or lower main feed belt 3@ and its companion upper main feed belt 31 corresponds, tov the^ spacing between the several l couples itself to the loading cage.

flights: of the cage. As a complement to the two said belts 30 and 31 there is journaled to the immediate front of theV tail ends thereof a respective normally deflated inilatable` cylinder, as 114 and 115 (see Fig. 3). These inflatablek cylinders, or rollers as they will be hereinafter termed, are inflated and deflated automatically as the swing-frame is coupled to and uncoupled from the cage. When so inflated, 'the said inflatable rollers fill the gaps between the tail ends of the belts 3@ and 31 and the registering head ends of the. cage-carried belts 68, and responsively act by friction to transfer from the functioning feed belt to the registering set of belts 68 a counterpart of the drive passed into the functioning feed belt, thus carrying forward onto the concerned flight of the loading cage the pre-compressed mat which is being delivered by the feed belt. The overriding clutches 87 perforce accommodate this frictional drive.

The sequential operation. of the described structure is as follows:

Let it be assumed that the cage is beginning lits uninterrupted descent from the elevated position in which it is shown in Fig, 3, and that the coupling roller 112 is lodged, as shown, between the #l and #2 stringers 55. This connects swing-frame 32 to the cage. Let it be further assumed that a mat now occupies the lower main feed belt 3@ and its traveling therewith at the latters normal 200 fpm. speed. Let it also be assumed that the upper main feed belt 31 carries a mat but is now stationary. The arrow in this View indicates that a mat is moving forwardly'upon the upper main feed belt 31 while a second mat upon the lower belt Sil is stationary. This is a condition which obtains at another stage of the operation, to be later described, and should be here disregarded.

The movement of the said lower belt 3i) acts through the roller 114 to frictionally drive the belts 68 of the c'ages lowermost or #l carriage in a forward direction, and the said mat' thus transfers itself from the feed belt onto the carriage. Considering that the speed of the cage is approximately l inch per second, the swing-frame 32 needs to move downwardly in concert with the cage no more than iive inches, or thereabout, in order to accommodate the sixteen-plus feet of belt travel necessary to lfully transfer the mat onto the carriage. The air cylinder 113, which may be controlled in any suitable manner, as for example from a limit switch engaged by the advancing mat, now is activated to retract the roller 112 and pressure air coincidently acts upon the swing-frame 32 to elevate the latter, the coupling roller remaining in a retracted position until the same has traversed the opening of the #2 flight, whereupon the spring which expresses said coupling roller is allowed to assert itself, and which is to say that the belt 30 is caused to register with the #3 flight before the swing-frame again Descending with the cage while coupled thereto and rising by its own power when uncoupled, the swing-framey successively feeds mats from belt 30 to each alternate flight, namely #1, #3, #5, etc. As the cage reaches the lower extreme of travel, the lower feed belt 3@ will have been brought into registration with flight #19, there being twenty flights in all, and at this stage of the operation the feed belt 31 as well as said belt 3i) is activated so that a mat is now fed from said previously stationary belt 31 onto flight #20 at the same time that a mat is supplied to flight #19 from belt 3i). The belt 3l. at this time becomes active only for the period of time necessary to discharge its mat, whereupon the same again becomes inactive, remaining inactive throughout the travel of the cage in vits following rising stroke of reciprocation.

During such ascending movement the swing-frame 32V again intermittently becomes coupled to the cage, in this instance rst rising with the cage and then lowering itself by cushioned gravity, bringing the lower feed belt into register' successivelyy wit-h thea-lternate even-numbered pockets by operation of the motor 76. In the forward stroke of reciprocation the carriage belts 68 are motionless. In the return stroke the same move forwardly andV charge the mats onto the respective plates 109 of the press. During this reciprocatory press-charging movement of the carriages, the conveyor continues to be active, with the first of two successive mats fed by the conveyor being delivered onto the upper main feed belt 31, such belt being momentarily activated at this time coincident with a rise of the swing-frame 27 of the selector belt 24 to bring said belt 24 into register with belt 31. The swing-frame then again lowers and the second mat is fed onto the lower belt 30, the combined time for feeding such two mats corresponding to the 14 second period during which the cage is stationary while the carriages move into and out of the press in their charging operation. As the carriages return to their normal retracted position the cycle of operation again commences.

Should the conveyor be carrying a defective mat the selector belt 24 is lowered into its reject position, delivering the mat to a chopper 116. The resulting particles drop into a recovering bin 117 from which the same are returned for reprocessing. Through suitable means as, for example, a circuit--breaking contact switch contained in the concerned electric circuits and that of the operating belt 30 or 31, as the case may be, the movement of the loading cage is arrested when a mat is rejected from the conveyor.

It is believed to be self-evident that the lower of the two main feed belts could, if desired, be used to perform the cage-charging operation during the cages descending motion only, employing the upper belt to charge the even-numbered flights as the carriage rises in its following up-stroke of reciprocation.

It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of the illustrated now-preferred embodiment. Modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and I accordingly intend that no limitations are to be implied tnd that the hereto annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

What I claim is:

l. In combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of an even-numbered multi-platen hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for vertical reciprocatory motion between twoV motion from a normal retracted position into and fromv an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting said reciprocatory motion to the carriages and a1 ranged to be operated when the cage and the press are in registration, two horizontal endless feed belts leading to the cage at the side thereof opposite the press and spaced vertically in correspondence with the spacing of the flights, a supporting frame therefor mounted for ver-v tical movement, means for intermittently moving said frame in a direction counter to the travel of the cageand then releasably coupling the frame tothe cage in positions such that in the downstroke travel of the cage the lower belt registers with successive odd-numbered flights .and in the upstroke travel with successive even-numbered flights, means acting to continuously supply a succession of mats to the lower feed belt as the cage moves in its reciprocatory travel, means acting to supply a succession of two mats first `one to the upper feed belt and then one to the` lower feed belt when the movementof the cage is arrested while said carriages of the cage move into and from the press, means for continuously driving said lower feed belt, the upper feed belt being inactive during periods when the cage is in motion, and means for driving the upper feed belt only as a mat is being fed thereto when the cage is arrested in registration with the press and when said upper feed belt is in registration with the topmost flight at the lower limit of the cages reciprocatory motion. f

2. In combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of an even-numbered multi-platen hotpress, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting a like number of flights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at the high extreme of said reciprocatory motion, means acting to impart said reciprocatory motion to the cage in such a manner that the cage is arrested for a moderate interval of time at its high limit of travel, namely when all of the flights are in registration with a related pocket of the press, and moves uninterruptedlyv through the remainder of its operating cycle, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting said reciprocatory motion to the carriages and arranged to be operated when the cage and the press are in registration, a respective normally inactive endless mat-carrying conveyor belt carried by each of said carriages -with the upper run thereof exposed and extending Ifrom approximately the rear to the front end limit of the carriage, means operative upon said belts throughout the return travel of the carriages for activating the same to unload the mats by causing the upper runs to move' numbered flights and in the upstroke travel registers withsuccessive even-numbered ights, means acting to continuously supply a succession of mats to the lower feed belt as the cage moves in its reciprocatory travel, means acting to supply a succession of two mats lirst one to the upper feed belt and then one to the lower feed belt when the movement of the cage is arrested while said carriages of the cage move into and from the press, means for t continuously driving said lower feed belt, the upper feed belt being inactivev during periods when the cage is in motion, means for driving the upper feed belt only as a mat is being fed thereto when the cage is arrested in registration with the press and when said upper feed belt is in registration with the topmost flight at the lower limit kof the cages reciprocatory motion, and means acting throughout the ascending and. descending travel of the cage for frictionally driving, from the respective functioning feed belt, the conveyor'belt of the concerned flight in the same direction and at the same speed as said 1 i functioning feed belt for bringing onto said conveyor belts the'mats supplied by the feed belts.

3. In combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of an even-numbered multi-platen hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting a like number of flights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at the high extreme of said reciprocatory motion, means acting to` impart said reciprocatory motion to the cage in such a manner that the cage is arrested for a moderate interval of timeV at its high limit of travel, namely when all of the flights are in registration with a related pocket of the press, and moves uninterruptedly through the remainder of its operating cycle, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting said reciprocatory motion to the carriages andl ar ranged to be operated when the cage and the press are in registration, a respective normally inactive endless matcarrying conveyor belt carried by each of said carriages with the upper run thereof exposed and extending from approximately the rear to the front end limit of the carriage, means operative upon said belts throughout the return travel of the carriages for activating the same to unload the mats by causing the upper runs to move con verse to the directional travel of theV carriages at a speed corresponding thereto, two horizontal endless feed belts leading to the cage at the side thereof opposite the press and spaced vertically in correspondence with the spacing of the flights, a supporting frame therefor mounted for vertical movement, means for intermittently moving said frame in a direction counter to the travel of the cage and then releasably coupling the frame to the cage in positions such that in the downstroke travel of the cage the lower belt registers in turn with successive odd-numbered flights and in the upstrolre travel registers in turn with successive even-numbered flights, means acting to continuously supply a succession of mats to the lower feed belt as the cage moves in its reciprocatory travel, means acting to supply a succession of two mats first one to the upper feed belt and then one to the lower feed belt when the movement of the cage is arrested while said carriages of the cage move into and from the press, means for continuously driving said lower feed belt, the upper feed belt being inactive during periods when the cage is in motion, means for driving the upper feedbelt only as a mat is being fed thereto when the cage is arrested in registration with the press and when said upper feed belt is in registration with the topmost flight at the lower limit of the cages reciprocatory motion, and means acting throughout the ascending and descending travel of the cage for frictionally driving, from the lower feed belt, the conveyor belt of the concerned flight in the same direction and at the same speed as said lower feed belt for bringing onto said conveyor belts the mats supplied by the feed belts.

4. Structure according to claim 3 in which a continuous mat slit transversely at spaced intervals of the length is fed to the head end of said succession of conveyor belts, the speed of said feed belts being constant, and wherein said succession of conveyor belts are each a 2-speed belt with the higher speed corresponding to that of the feed belts, each succeeding belt in said snc cession of belts being longer than the preceding belt, means being provided for driving all said 2-speed conveyor belts at their high-speed travel when the conveyed mats traverse a given point located proximate to the feed belts and thereafter driving each of said belts in turn at their low-speed travel when the tail end of the concerned mat has cleared said belt.

5.. In combination with the verticallyA spacedmat- 122 receivingy pockets of an even-numbered multi-platenv hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting a like number of flights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at the high extreme of said reciprocatory` motion, means acting to impart said reciprocatory motion to the cage in such a manner that the cage is arrested for a moderate interval of time at its high limit of travel, namely when each of the flights are in registration with a related pocket of the press, and moves uninterruptedly through the remainder of its operating cycle, a respective mat-receiving carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting said reciprocatory motion to the carriages and arranged to be operated when the cage and the press are in registration, two horizontal endless feed belts leading to the cage at the side thereof opposite the press and spaced vertically in correspondence with the -spacing of the flights, a supporting frame therefor mounted for vertical movement, means for intermittently moving said frame in a direction counter to the travel of the cage and then releasably coupling the frame to the cage in positions such that in the downstroke travel of the cage the lower belt registers with successive odd-numbered flights and in the upstroke travel registers with successive even-numbered fiights, means acting to continuously supply a succession of mats to the lower feed belt as the cage moves in its reciprocatory travel, means acting to supply a succession of two l mats first one to the upper feed belt and then one to the lower feed belt when the movement of the cage is arrested while said carriages of the cage move into and from the press,v means for continuously driving said lower feed belt, the upper feed belt being inactive during periods when the cage is in motion and means for driving the upper feed belt only as a mat is being fed thereto when the cage is arrested in registration with the press and when said upper feed belt is in registration with the topmost flight at the lower limit of the cages reciprocatory motion, means being provided for transferring mats from the carriages to the. platens of the hot press when the carriage move into and from said pockets of the press.

6. Structure according to claim 5 in which said means for supplying mats to the two feed belts comprises an endless conveyor belt arranged to receive a succession of mats and movable selectively into register with either of the two feed belts or into a third position which operates to reject a defective mat, means being provided to momentarily interrupt the travel of the cage during the time interval required to reject said defective mat.

7. In combination with the vertically spaced mat-receiving pockets of an even-numbered multi-platen hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting a like number' of ilights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at the high eXtreme of said reciprocatory motion, means acting to impart said reciprocatory motion to the cage in such a manner that the cage is arrested for a moderate interval of time. at its high limit of travel, namely when each of the flights are in registration` with a related pocket of the press, and moves uninterruptedly through the remainder of its operation cycle, a respective mat-receiving carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal re tracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting said reciprocatory4 motion to the carriagesl and arranged to be operated message i3 whenv the cage and the press are in registration, two horizontal endless feed belts leading to the cage at the side thereof opposite the press and spaced vertically in -the cage is at rest to feed a respective mat in turn first onto the upper feed belt and then onto the lower feed belt and during the following reciprocatory motion of the cage Supply a succession of mats rst to the lower feed belt while the cage is descending and then to the upper feed belt while the cage is rising, and means for continuously driving said lower feed belt while mats are being supplied thereto and for continuously driving the upper feed belt when mats are being supplied thereto, means being provided for transferring mats from the carriages to the platens of the hot press when the carriages move into and from said pockets of the press.

8. Structure according to claim 7 in which there is provided by the cage 'at the front end of each flight a respective normally closed heat shield, means being provided for opening said shields as the carriages move reciprocally into and from the pockets of the press.

9. Structure according to claim 7 in which each carriage is provided at its front end with a tongue acting as the carriage moves forwardly into the related pocket of the press to scrape from the lower platen of said pocket any residue matter remaining from the preceding operation of the press.

10. Structure according to claim 2 in which each carriage provides at its front end a plate mounted for movement from anupstanding position whereat, Yas the carriage moves into the press, the same will push from the pocket of the press a mat pressed in the preceding operation of the press into a recessed positiony freely traversed by the incoming mat as the conveyor of theconcerned carriage acts during said return travel of the carriage to move said mat off the carriage.

11. In combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of a multi-platen hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel,

said cage presenting a plurality of flights of a like number and spaced in correspondence with the pockets of the press and arranged to register with said pockets at the high extreme of said reciprocatory motion, means acting to impart said reciprocatory motion to the cage in such a manner that the cage is arrested for a moderate interval of time at its high limit of travel, namely when the same is in registrationwith the press, and moves uninterruptedly through the remainder of its operating cycle, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting said reciprocatory motion to the carriages and arranged to be operated when the cage and the press are in registration,v

a respective normally inactive endless mat-carrying conveyor belt carried by each of said carriages with the upper run thereof exposed and extending from approximately the rear to the front end limit of the carriage, means operative upon said belts throughout the return travel of the carriages for activating the same to unload the mats by causing the upper runs to move converse to the directional travel of the carriages at a speed corresponding thereto, feed means leading to the cage at the slide thereof opposite the press, a supporting frame therei4 for mounted for vertical movement, means for intermittently moving said frame in a direction counter to the travel of the cage and then releasably coupling the frame to the cage in position such that the feed means registers with successive odd-numbered flights in the descending travel of the cage and with successive evennumbered ights in the ascending travel of the cage, means acting to continuously supply a succession of mats to the feed means throughout the travel of the cage, means for continuously transferring said mats from the feed means to the conveyor belt provided by a registering flight ofthe cage, and means acting throughout the ascending and descending travel of the cage for driving in a forward direction the conveyor belt of the particular ight which is in registration with the feed means, thus advancing onto each carriage the mat fed by said feed means.

12. In combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of a hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for uninterrupted vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting multiple ights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at one position of said reciprocatory motion, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting. said reciprocatory motion to the carriages, a respective normally inactive endless conveyor belt carried by each of said carriages with the upper run thereof exposed and extending from approximately the rear to the front end limit of the carriage, means operative upon said belts throughout the return travel of the carriages for activating the same such that the upper runs move converse to the directional travel of the carriages at a speed corresponding thereto, a succession of endless mat-conveying belts leading to the vside of the loading cage opposite the press and including at the discharge end thereof a main belt feeding to a zone successively traversed by the several flights of the cage in the reciprocatory vertical movement thereof, the tail end of said main feed belt admitting to vertical motion within the vertical range of said zone, means for periodically bringing said tail end of the main feed belt into registration with and releasably localizing the same with respect to successive flights of the cage as said flights traverse said feed zone, and means for frictionally driving, from the feed belt, the conveyor belt of the registering flight in the same direction and at the same speed as the feed belt.

13. In combination with the vertically-spaced matreceiving pockets of an even numbered multi-platen hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for uninterrupted vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting multiple flights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at one position of said reciprocatory motion, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, normally inactive means for imparting said reciprocatory motion to the carriages, a respective normally inactive endless conveyor belt carried by each of said carriages with the upper run thereof exposed and extending from approximately the rear to the front end limit of the carriage, means operative upon said belts throughout the return travel of the carriages for activating the same such that the upper runs move converse to the directional travel of the carriages at a speed corresponding thereto, a succession of endless mat-conveying belts leading to the side of the loading cage opposite the press and in. cluding at the discharge end thereof a main belt feedingv to a zone successively traversed by the several ili'ghts of the cage in the reciprocatory vertical movement thereof, the tail end of said main feed belt admitting to vertical motion within the vertical range of said zone, means acting in the descending movement of the cage to releasably localize the tail end of the main feed belt in registration with successive odd-numbered flights of the cage as said odd-numbered ights traverse the feed zone, means acting in the rising movement of the cage to releasably localize the tail end of the -main feed belt in registration with successive even-numbered ights of the cage as said even-numbered flights traverse the feed zone, and means for frictionally driving, from the feed belt, the conveyor belt of the registering flight in the same direction and at the same speed as the feed belt.

14. ln combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of a hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for uninterrrupted vertical reciprocatory motionv between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting multiple flights corresponding in number to and spaced in correspondence with the spacing f the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at one position of said reciprocatory motion, a respective carriage supported by each of said iiights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position Whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, a respective normally inactive endless conveyor belt carried by each of said carriages with the upper run thereof exposed and extending from approximately the rear to the front end limit of the carriage, said belts being arranged for unidirectional travel such that the upper runs move from the rear toward the front end of the carriage, means operative upon said belts and made to operate automatically in response to return travel of the carriages for activating the same in their said unidirectional travel at a speed exactly corresponding to the oppositely directed travel of the carriages, said conveyor belts being adapted to have mats fed thereto while the carriages occupy their normal retracted position, and a means independent of the first said belt-operating means acting upon the belts to move the same in their said unidirectional travel while a mat is being fed thereto, said means for reciprocating the carriages comprising, for each carriage, a chain trained about sprocket wheels journaled from the cage at opposite ends thereof and having the chain dead-ended to the concerned carriage, means being provided for reciprocally driving one of said sprocket wheels.

15. Structure according to claim 14 in which the means for driving the conveyor belts during the return travel of the carriages comprises, for each belt, a sprocket wheel connected through an over-riding clutch to one end of a live roller for the belt and meshing a length of dead chain secured to the cagefin a position alongside the carriage.

16. Structure according to claim 14 in which each carriage provides a floor underlying the concerned belt and comprised of a corrugated sheet member having the corrugations extending transversely and secured along the side edges to laterally spaced stringers of a carriage frame.

17. in combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of a hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for uninterrupted vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting multiple flights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press sockets and arranged to register with said pockets at one extreme of said reciprocatory motion, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, feed means mounted for limited vertical movement within a zone located alongside the cage and traversed. by successive'ights of the cage in the reciproestaras catory vertical motion thereof, means for periodically bringing said feed means into registration with successive flights traversing said feed zone, means operating to momentarily localize the feed means in relation to the cage following said registration, a respective conveyor belt on the feed means and on each of the flights of the cage, means for supplying successive mats onto the belt of the feed means, means for driving said feed belt, and a normally inactive means' caused to be activated when the feed means is localized with respect to successive said flights for passing drive energy from the belt of the feed means to the belt of the concerned llight so as, by the concerted action of the two belts, transferring a respective mat from the feed means to each of the ights of the cage during the interval when the feed means is localized with respect to said flight.

18. A caul-less loader comprising, in combination with the vertically spaced mat-receiving pockets of a hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and presenting multiple ilights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press Pockets and arranged to register with said pockets, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters and occupies substantially the full length of a related pocket of the press, said carriages being each adapted to carry a respective mat thereon, means acting upon the mats in course of said recipro catory motion of the carrages for transferring the mats from the carriages directly onto the press platens which define said pockets, a respective means carried by each carriage at the front end thereof for movement from a normal lowered position into and out of a raised position and acting when raised to perform a pusher function upon a previously pressed mat occupying the related pocket of the press for ejecting said mat as the carriage moves into the pocket, and means acting automatically as the carriage moves forwardly `for raising said pusher means into an operating position and as the carriage moves rearwardly for lowering said pusher means into an inoperative position.

19. Structure according to claim 18, the carriage narrowing to a substantial feather edge at the front thereof so that a mat being delivered to a related pocket of the press will move off the carriage and onto the facing surface of the pocket without jarring loosely knit -bers composing said mat.

20. A caul-less loader comprising, in combination with the vertically spaced mat-receiving pockets dened between the platens of a hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and presenting multiple nights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets, a respective carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press and Within said pocket overlies substantially the portion of the door of the pocket which a related mat is to occupy therein, said carriages being each adapted to carry a respective mat thereon, and means acting upon the mats in course of said re ciprocatory motion of the carriages for transferring the mats from the carriages directly onto the press platens, each of said carriages having an asbestos strip upon its underside arranged to bear upon the facing surface of the press pocket and hold the underside of the carriage proper elevated above said face to minimize transfer of heat from the heated face of the pocket to the carriage proper.

21. A caul-less loader comprising, in combination with the vertically spaced mat-receiving pockets dened between the platens of a hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and presenting multiple flights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets f and arranged to register with said pockets, a respective carriage supported by each of said ights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press and within said pocket overlies substantially the portion of the lioor of the pocket which a related mat is to occupy therein, said carriages being each adapted to carry a respective mat thereon, means acting upon the mats in course of said reciprocatory motion of the carriages for transferring the mats from the carriages directly onto the press platens, each of said carriages having at the front end a tongue of thingauge metal stock acting, as the carriage advances into the related pocket of the press, to peel from the facing surface thereof any residue matter remaining from the preceding press operation, said tongue additionally acting as an apron giving to the front end of the concerned carriage a substantial feather-edged configuration when viewed from the side so that a mat will be transferred without any jarring force from the carriage onto the press platen and hence protect the loosely knit fibers which compose the mat against liability of being disarranged.

22. A caul-less loader comprising, in combination with the vertically spaced mat-receiving pockets defined between the platens of a hot press, a loading cagey located alongside the press and presenting multiple ights spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets, a respective mat-supporting carriage supported by each of said flights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, advancing at the forward extreme of said movement to a position overlying substantially that portion of the oor of the pocket which is to be occupied by a mat as the hot press performs its pressing operation, and acting automatically in course of said return movement to unload a supported mat directly onto the related platen of the press, each of said carriages having an endless conveyor belt carried thereby and arranged for unidirectional travel such that an exposed upper run thereof moves from tbe rear toward the front end of the concerned carriage, and means made to act automatically in response to return travel of the carriages for activating the same in their said unidirectional travel at a speed exactly corresponding to the oppositely directed travel of the carriages, the means for activating the conveyor belts during the return travel of the carriages comprising, for each belt, a sprocket wheel connected through an over-riding clutch to one end of a live roller for the belt and meshing a length of dead chain secured to the cage in a position alongside the carriage.

23. In combination with the vertically spaced matreceiving pockets of a hot press, a loading cage located alongside the press and mounted for uninterrupted vertical reciprocatory motion between two extremes of travel, said cage presenting multiple ights corresponding in number to and spaced in correspondence with the spac ing of the press pockets and arranged to register with said pockets at one position of said reciprocatory motion, a respective carriage supported by each of said ilights for horizontal reciprocatory motion from a normal retracted position into and from an advanced position whereat the same enters a related pocket of the press, a respective normally inactive endless conveyor belt carried by each of said carriages with the upper run thereof exposed and extending from approximately the rear to the front end limit of the carriage, said belts being arranged for unidirectional travel such that the upper runs move from the rear toward the front end of the carriage, means operative upon said belts and made to act automatically in response to return travel of the carriages for activating the same in their said unidirectional travel at a speed exactly corresponding to the oppositely directed travel of the carriages, said conveyor belts being adapted to have mats fed thereto while the carriages occupy their normal retracted position, and a means independent of the rst said belt-operating means acting upon the belts to move the same in their said unidirectional travel while a mat is being fed thereto, each of said carridges providing a iioor underlying the concerned belt and comprised of a corrugated sheet member having the corrugations extending transversely and secured along the side edges to laterally spaced stringers of a carriage frame. i

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,440,204 Alschuler Dec. 26, 1922 1,801,822 Sutherland Apr. 21, 1931 1,858,619 Delamere May 17, 1932 1,901,928 Olson Mar. 21, 1933 1,903,102 Farley Mar. 28, 1933 2,139,667 Brauer Dec. 13, 1938 2,186,463 Maine Ian. 9, 1940 2,376,457 Skoog May 22, 1945 2,467,113 Deiters Apr. 12, 1949 2,536,756 Lopez Ian. 2, 1951 2,599,693 Chapman June 10, 1952 2,612,275 Chapman Sept. 30, 1952 2,704,608 Graf et al Mar. 22, 1955 2,728,468 Siempelkamp Dec. 27, 1955 2,794,534 Forrester June 4, 1957 

